


Porcelain

by Macy7231



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, F/M, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-09-25 10:29:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20375278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Macy7231/pseuds/Macy7231
Summary: "In the same way I can't imagine you're my wife. I can't imagine you are wild, the happiest part of me." ~Emarosa~





	1. Prologue: Tormund

"Mommy, tell me a story," Munda said, as she lay on the chaise lounge, pressed against Brienne's chest, twirling a lock of her mother's hair between her fingers.

Brienne pulled her own fingers through Munda's long hair. Brienne hugged Munda tighter, then pressed her face to the top of the girl's head. "What type of story, my love?"

Jaime sat on the banister, resting his back against a post. He held Tormund and Brienne's younger daughter, Aisling, in his lap, rubbing circles across her back. Her breath hitched as she breathed, finally calming herself as she sucked on her tiny thumb.

Tormund watched them all, content with the thought they would all be alright.

"Daddy, what do you think?" Munda asked, reaching out to touch his arm. He smiled at her little hand, little fingers tapping on him.

"Oh, I know a good one," Brienne smiled and looked over at Tormund. "Do you remember when we were still at Stark Academy, and you forced me to sing songs from Annie?"

"From Annie?" Jaime questioned, looking back and forth between the two of them, "What songs?" he asked.

"ALL of the songs!" She smiled. "You made me stand on a milk crate and sing in the main hall!"

"I did no such thing!" Tormund denied excitedly, then coughed for his efforts.

"You did too! I was in my eighth year, and you in your tenth! You bet that I could still fit a red dress I wore when I was nine because I was so skinny. And that if you were right, I had to wear it and sing!"

"Could you really fit the dress?" Jaime asked, truly curious now.

"I could get into it, it just did cover my behind, but I could wear it and get away with it if I wore shorts underneath. And I had to sing!"

Jaime's smile reached his eyes and he said, "Brienne, you do have a way of making something sound like more than it is."

Tormund laughed, then started coughing again. He looked up at Jaime, "She does have an incredibly impressive imagination."

"Imagination? I'll have you know that it's my memory, dear husband, and my memory is very, very long."

Tormund's smile faded as he gazed at Brienne, his beautiful wife. He wished he had more time. He took as deep a breath as he could, hearing the unmistakable wheeze as he inhaled. "I'm going to depend on you for that," he said then turned to stare straight ahead, at the view of the sea crashing against the rocks ahead of him.


	2. Munda

"Higher, Daddy!" Munda yells, and squeals with delight as he pushes her higher in the swing. She closes her eyes; she's flying through the air on a dragon. Her long, wavy, strawberry blonde hair whips around her head each time she swings back. When she swings forward, it falls away from her face, letting the sun kiss all her tiny freckles. Today is going to be a great day, and tomorrow even better.

  
Today, her Mommy is coming home from working in King's Landing. Today Daddy is taking Aisling and her with him to the airport to pick her up Mommy, and they are all going out for dinner. Today, Aisling might take her thumb out of her mouth long enough to speak, or maybe she'll leave that ugly old bunny at home... But she's only a baby, so Munda decides it's ok, she can do what babies do; that's what Daddy says.

  
Tomorrow, she can have a sleep over, but with only two friends. She wanted everyone to come, but Daddy said that Mommy may be too tired to deal with so many children that weren't even hers. Tomorrow, Daddy will make waffles, because they are Mommy's favorite, topped with fruit and maple syrup. It's something like cake. They only have that for breakfast the first day Mommy comes home. Tomorrow, since Mommy will be with them, Daddy won't go to work. He won't go back to work until Mommy goes back to work. And that means Aisling won't go to Aunt Ygritte. But Munda still has to go to school; She just won't take the school bus to her Aunt Ygritte's because her Daddy will pick her up.

  
This is how it has been for a while now. Munda's not sure exactly how long. She just knows that Mommy stopped working for a long time. Then Aisling just showed up out of nowhere, and then Mommy went back to work.

  
But right now, Munda is swinging back and forth with her eyes closed, pretending she is flying through the air on a dragon.  
She has freckles like Mommy. Mommy has freckles, and Daddy does too; Aisling doesn't. She has deep blue eyes like Mommy, but Aisling has light, blue eyes like daddy. Mommy has long, light blonde hair. She lets Munda brush it when she is home. She had once asked if it was made of silk, because it was so soft, smooth, like what she saw on the corn at Aunt Ygritte's and Uncle Jon's. Aisling's hair is soft like Mommy's though, but she's only a baby. Daddy has a thick red hair and a beard to match. He was kissed by fire.

  
Aisling is a skinny old baby. Munda watches her as she pushes trucks along in the sandbox, burying the little turtles underneath. She's ok, for a little sister. Munda is glad she doesn't try to eat everything anymore. The only thing that goes in her mouth now is her thumb. She still doesn't know how to go potty on the toilet; Daddy says she's too little. She still doesn't talk much. Daddy and Mommy say she'll speak when she's ready. Aunt Ygritte and Uncle Jon say that Aisling is nothing like Munda at her age, that Munda just chatted away. But Aisling is so quiet that Aunt Ygritte almost forgot she was in the car when she went shopping.

  
***

  
Munda watches as all the people get off the plane. Daddy says that Mommy is going to be on this one. They had stood and watched as some planes took off, and others landed. But this is the plane Mommy is on. So may people got off the plane and it seems like it's taking forever for Mommy to get off the plane! At last, Munda sees Mommy step through the doorway and into the terminal. Munda breaks away from Daddy, running to Mommy as fast as her legs could carry her.

  
"MOMMY!" Munda yells, as she runs across the terminal, making a beeline straight for Mommy. Mommy sets a bag on the floor and gets on one knee, just in time for Munda to collide with her, wrapping her arms around her neck.

  
"Hello, my love!" she says to Munda. She looks up to see Daddy coming over with Aisling in his arms. She kisses Munda all over her face then stands, holding her hands out for Aisling. "And my sweet baby doll!" She says as Aisling leans out of Daddy's arms right into Mommy's. She kisses Aisling's face all over, the same as she did for Munda.

  
It's an odd view, but not new to Munda as she cranes her neck up to watch Daddy and Mommy lean over her and kiss. It's not like the spitty kisses she sees Aunt Ygritte and Uncle Jon give, with their tongues all in each other's mouths, ew. It's not like the fast kisses Mommy and Daddy give to her and her sister. It's more... in the middle... It's a slow kiss, but not a spitty kiss. They smile at each other and kiss again, longer this time.

_'They do perfect husband and wife kisses,' Munda thought._

  
Mommy always says that Daddy is her best friend. They stop and Mommy says, "I missed you."

  
And Daddy always says that Mommy is his best friend, "I missed you too, honey."


	3. Brienne

The cool breeze feels nice as Brienne and Tormund walk along the mall, his arm around her waist, one of hers around his, the girls running and playing ahead of them. There aren't many people out this night. There are people going in and out of shops. Some watching the river flowing beneath the bridge. There's a sketch artist in a small booth, a clown with balloons...

She hugs him tighter. It's always nice to come home, to her family, in True North after working and touring in the south. She's always amazed at how much her little girls have grown every time she returns.

Brienne never thought she could be a mother to one child, let alone to two. After being a mother to Munda, she was so afraid when she found out she was pregnant with Aisling. After everything that had happened, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to carry to term or deliver without being sliced open. And now, this evening, she is walking with her husband, watching her two girls run and play.

Tormund is a wonderful husband. He always listens to her and she trusts him. He's saved her so many times in so many ways. But that's how it has always been, since they were children.

_She had been sent to Stark Academy as a girl. She hadn't done well in the three different schools her father had sent her to in the south. She had been bullied very badly, and it hurt. She wasn't pretty like most other girls. She was awkward. Long legs and arms, too thin. Her features just didn't fit together. And to top it off, she was too tall. At 8 years old, two older boys had jumped on her, blackened both her eyes, and a third person, a girl, had cut off her hair. She had been stripped her naked, beaten with a broom, and then the handle of that broom had been pushed into her anus. They left her on the ground in the rain. _  
_The school told her father kids will be kids. And it was at only 8, that she had tried to kill herself. _  
_She had been hospitalized, with internal injuries, a broken arm, and almost lost vision in one eye. Her father never sent her back to school. The next thing she knew, she was introduced to a woman named Catelyn Stark. Her bags were packed and she was taken onto a plane headed North, to a place called Winterfell. She was to be fostered with other children there. _  
_She was placed in a simple room with another girl her age. Ygritte, was a tiny girl with bright, curly, red hair and beautiful blue eyes that looked like water. She wore a simple gray pinafore dress, a black wool shirt underneath, with matching wool tights, and black knee high boots. Her hair was in two simple braids held by black elastics. Brienne was given the same exact outfit to wear. Ygritte seemed nice enough, and had a slightly odd quality to her accent Brienne hand never heard before. She sounded Northern, but different._

_Brienne liked this girl. But she had been waiting for the other shoe to drop, especially when her brother entered the room, and his accent was even heavier than his sister's. He was taller than Brienne, but not by much. He was stocky, had the same blue eyes and red hair, and was simply covered in pale freckles. She had braced herself for the relentless teasing she was sure to get from this boy, but it never came. He smiled at her._

_That was the first time she met Tormund. _

_Then classes started. And nearly half the students had that same heavy accent. Who were they? Brienne had wondered. Again, she had waited for the taunts and teasing, and eventual bullying, but oddly, it never came, even though she looked a mess, with her hair uneven and missing chunks, and bald spots. She looked like a rooster. At least the bruising around her eyes had faded to green. After the second day, Winterfell's barber shaved the rest of her hair off. _

_The days had grown into weeks, and the weeks into months while Brienne was at Stark Academy. She had learned that the students with the strange accents were from True North, all being fostered at Winterfell, and most had no parents or family willing to claim them... Something about laws and treaties she didn't quite understand at the time. But to her surprise, she was the only southerner there, besides Lady Catelyn._

_When the school session had ended, Brienne was put on a plane back to Tarth until school reconvened. When she got home, the teasing and bullying started again. She went back to Stark Academy much earlier than planned, and never went home unless it was a special occasion. She was perfectly happy in The North. _

And now, her home is True North, in a gated community in the town of Whitetree, and Tarth is where her father lives and where she takes her family to visit on holidays and special occasions.

Brienne looks at her girls and smiles. The stern booming voice of her husband rings in her ear as he calls out to their oldest.  
"Stay close Munda, we need to see you two!" Munda stops, turns around, then takes Aisling by the hand. They run circles around one another and laugh.

"So, how long is the engagement going to be?" Tormund asks Brienne as he lifts her right hand, inspecting the new ring she wore. They sat down on a bench and watched as the girls ran around.

"He said I should be the one to decide on a date, and everything. But I don't want a huge event." Brienne dropped her head onto Tormund's shoulder.

"I need to meet him, you know that," Tormund reminds her. She had come to him some months ago, and told him about a man named Jaime Lannister. He had been flirting with her and she was falling for him. She wasn't sure at first how she felt. But she is always honest and up front with Tormund because she loves her husband. And now she's in love with another.

"I know, and I told him," she said, smiling. "And he also understands that he has to learn to share," she says holding up her left hand as she kisses the set of rings there.

"Good, we don't want your little southern boy to think he's in charge."

"Hey! Be nice!" She said, laughing. 

Tormund hums, then watches the girls, making sure they aren't too far away. "Have you told him about Munda?" he asks as Brienne bows her head, all smiles and laughter faded.

"No, but I will," she responds quietly.

Tormund places a hand on her shoulder, "Alright, I'll leave you to it then."

"It's just so... hard." She says, looking at Tormund, then lets out a shaky breath. "I just don't like talking about... that."

Tormund nods. "You're right, it was extremely traumatic, especially for you and Munda. But he really needs to be aware of everything beforehand, so as not to be blindsided. We have to take every precaution."

"Well, I don't think my father will like him at all." Brienne says, smiling at Tormund, hoping he would get the hint to change the subject.

Tormund let out a laugh. "He'll like him well enough. Besides, Selwyn isn't the one who needs to like him," he states, matter of factly, "It's the girls, and especially me."

"Would you really not accept him? Even if I love him too?"Brienne looks worried.

"Wife, I'm your first husband. If this new fellow is an asshole, he has to go."

"But he's not!" She insists.

"With you he's not." Tormund watches as the girls run back up to him and Brienne as if they were racing. 

"We want popcorn, Daddy!" Munda says, and points to a young woman with a cart of different kinds of popcorn. He reaches into his pocket and takes a bill out of his wallet, then gives it to Munda. She runs back to the woman with the popcorn as Aisling trails behind.

Tormund looks at Brienne and asked, "Does he have kids?"

"Well," Brienne looks thoughtfully, "Yes, and no." Tormund raises a thick brow, questioningly. "He has twins, they are 16. He is their father, but they don't know him as their father, only as their uncle."

"Why?"

"Because their mother is his sister."

"So, why? I mean, why ignore familial relationships? I don't understand..."

"His sister really is their mother..."

"Oh, OH!" Tormund says, surprised. "What the hell? He fucked his own sister? How did that happen?"

"I didn't ask. But he did tell me it was only once, and it was a drunken mistake, they each thought the other was someone else, and didn't realize the mistake until the next morning."

"Have you met his family?"

"I met his sister, Cersei. She seems nice enough. I met Tommen, his nephew... and his brother. You've met his brother before, He's married to Jon's sister, Dany."

"The little man?"

"Yes, Tyrion."

"What a small world."

Brienne watched the girls make their way back to her and Tormund, hands and faces a covered in chocolate. She reaches into Aisling's diaper bag and takes out a package of baby wipes.

***

Brienne comes out of the bathroom ready for bed, dressed in an old dorm shirt and thick socks. This is one of her favorite things to do with her family. Everyone in nightclothes, gathered in bed to watch a movie. She smiles at Munda in her pretty princess Aurora night gown. Aisling is wearing one with Ariel on it. Munda stands at the foot of the bed, pointing the remote at the television. As Brienne settles down on her side of the bed, Aisling, who was sitting in Tormunds lap, leaning on his bare chest, as he scrolled through messages on his phone, gets up to sit in her lap instead. "Traitor," she hears Tormund say as she kisses the top of the toddler's head. She smells so good, all clean with a fresh baby smell, soft fluffy hair and sweet little cheeks.

"I love you, my little baby doll," she says to her and she lifts the child's hands and kisses them."

"Mommy, have you seen Frozen?" Munda asks, still flipping through movies on the screen.

"No, I haven't. Why don't we watch it now?" Brienne suggests.

"NO!" Tormund says quickly. Please find another movie, Munda, Daddy is really not in the mood for that movie again."

"But Daddy!"

"Let it go!" and he bows his head, pinchinng the bridge of his nose. "And I'm quoting lines from the damn thing..."

"How about Maleficent?" Brienne suggests as the picture shows up on the screen.

"Aisling doesn't like that one," Munda said.

"How about you and Aisling go watch a movie in your own room?" Tormund says excitedly.

"We are having a sleepover with Mommy, Daddy," Munda says to her father with her hand on her hip, looking exasperated.

Tormund glances at Brienne, "She gets that attitude from you," and then to Munda, "If you don't hurry up and find a movie, I'm sending you both to your room and you can decide what to watch in there."

"Ok!" Munda says and randomly starts the Trolls movie then plops down at the foot of the bed.

Brienne hides her grin in Aisling's hair. She misses these little moments.

***

Tormund gently lowers Munda into her own bed as Brienne starts to put Aisling into the crib. Tormund shakes his head no. "She crawls over the rails. I ordered another twin bed." Nodding towards the space next to Munda, "Put her next to Munda." And Brienne puts Aisling into the bed. She leans over them, giving each of them kisses on their cheeks.

As she and Tormund get back to their bedroom, Tormund grabs her by her hips and pushes the door with his foot. "I've been wanting my own sleepover." He tells Brienne as he pushes her hair to one side and bites her shoulder. He slides his hand down her right arm and grabs the ring on her finger, pulls it off, then sets it on the dresser. Slipping a hand though the waistband of her panties he drags them down her legs, and she steps out of them. He turns her around, and pulls her into a ferocious kiss, crushing her body into his, as if he's trying to absorb her. She puts her hands through his hair, then pulls away from the kiss, looking into his eyes. Tormund caresses her face then lifts her into his arms as he and she wraps her legs around his waist.

He puts her on the bed, then pulls her shirt off. She, in turn, pulls his shorts down, stopping for a moment to admire his aroused dick with a slow lick... He pushes her back onto the bed. He puts his hands under her knees and pushes them up, pressing her legs open and exposing her wetness to him. He leans down and gently takes her swollen clit into his mouth, pushing his tongue inside her, making her moan, and keen. He clamps down hard, and sucks on her, flicking his tongue, making her thighs shake. She sits up, grabs and pulls his hair, then closes her thighs around his head. He stops then pushes her back down on the bed. He and grabs her wrists, pressing them down on her thighs, pressing them open. Holding her down tightly, he continues to devour her core.

She throws her head back as her climax begins. She reaches her peak, but he keeps her there, not stopping for her to rest. He continues his ministrations of her with his tongue, his lips, with a vise-like grip he has on her, until she's pushed into a state where she can hear her blood pumping through her ears, eyes shut so tightly she sees stars when they are opened. She feels like her heart will stop. She swears he has taken her soul. She's completely spent and overly sensitive and starts to cry. It is only then he enters her, giving her some relief, relieving the pressure built up inside that part of her as it still spasms.

She begs her husband to fuck her hard, and harder. She holds on to him, arms and legs, sweat soaked hair. Her hips reflexively moving on their own, and she's in heaven. He puts his hand on her bundle of nerves as he pounds into her, bringing her to quake and tremble once more as they clutch each other close.

She feels him release into her and she brings his face to hers, kissing his lips gently. He rolls them over, onto their sides and he pulls her into a fierce hug. "I love you," he whispers into her ear.

"And I love you, and I love the way you love me," she tells him before they both fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So-  
Westeros' laws are slightly different from the way they were on the show. Marriages can consist of 3 instead of only 2. It's not just a Targaryen thing.


	4. Munda

Munda sits at the table and watches as her parents move around the kitchen. To her, they almost look as if they're dancing, moving around one another, talking, laughing. Daddy told her that school is closed today when she went to wake him up. She thought she would be the only one leaving, because that's how it always is when Mommy comes back, she goes to school, and

Daddy picks her up instead of her riding the school bus to Aunt Ygritte's house.

Daddy is making waffles and Mommy is cooking the bacon and eggs. She also made orange juice with strawberries in it. Aisling is in her high chair nibbling on honey cereal and drinking milk out of her sippy cup. The ugly bunny lay across the table in front of her.

As Munda listens to her parents, she gets excited when Mommy says she wants to go to the studio today to record vocals.

_That means she has new music._

Daddy is has been working with a new artist, and he's going to call and see when Mommy can get a block of time to get there.

_They always say that. How is time a block?_

Mommy can go late. Daddy tells her about a new set of samples. He also says he wants her to meet the new artist, that he's awesome.

Munda reaches into the sparkly purple unicorn bag at her side, taking out a different colored crayon for coloring her homework.

Daddy says she has to color last because it's her favorite and too easy. She already did her numbers and writing. Now, she has to connect the dots and color the picture. She still has to read. Mommy says she'll read with her later.

The new artist is a rapper. He originally came from somewhere very far east in Essos, but was raised someplace in The Reach. Daddy once said he doesn't really have to go looking for artists, they all come to him. He says maybe he should send a flower arrangement to Casterly Media to thank them.

Munda's stomach starts growling, and she wishes that she had eaten a bowl of cereal when she first got up. She looks at Aisling staring at her and asks for some of her cereal. Aisling holds up an "O" between her fingers and Munda lets her put it into her mouth. Aisling immediately holds up another "O" for Munda.

_She's a good baby. I just wish she can talk instead of suck her thumb!_

"Ok, kids, breakfast is almost ready. Munda, I need you to put your homework away, then go wash your hands," Daddy says as he sets plates on the counter. Munda neatly puts her papers inside a folder then picks everything up and takes it into the family room. As Munda puts her homework away, the doorbell rings, then she sees Aunt Ygritte and Uncle Jon in the mudroom as they kick off their shoes and hang up their jackets.

"Good morning!" Aunt Ygritte says to everyone as she rushes through the family room, and into the kitchen, then hugs Mommy tightly. She turns the faucet on and washes her hands.

Uncle Jon comes through the door right behind her, only he grabs Munda, then blows a raspberry against her cheek.

"Uncle Jon!" Munda laughs and tries to pull away, but not before he picks her up, and blows a raspberry on her other cheek.

"Ok, I'm going to need details!" Aunt Ygritte says to Mommy. She gasps as she yanks Mommy's hand up, looking at her finger. "Where is it?" Aunt Ygritte demands.

"Upstairs, on the dresser," Mommy says, then Aunt Ygritte takes off runing up the stairs. Daddy looks at Mommy and raises his eyebrows. Mommy shrugs.

Aunt Ygritte runs back into the kitchen with a ring on her finger. "Oh, Brie! This is a beauty! Just lovely! I really like the red stones, very different!"

"Hold on, let me see," Uncle Jon says as he leans over Aunt Ygritte to look at the ring. He whistles, and says "Nice! Who's the lucky fellow?"

"Jaime Lannister," Daddy replied. "But it's not written in stone, I have to meet him and decide if he's ok."

_So that's his name... That's a girl name._

"Jaime Lannister? Oh, he's nothing to worry about. It's his father to watch out for," Uncle Jon says as he goes to the kitchen sink and washes his hands and Munda's too. They wrestle with a drying towel before Uncle Jon simply wraps it around her head and she can't see. Munda manages to lift the towel off her face in time to see Uncle Jon kiss Aisling's forehead.

"Explain," Daddy said as he takes plates and flatware to the table. Uncle Jon takes them, and Daddy turns back to get the large platter of waffles.

"Brienne, have you met Jaime's father, Tywin, yet?" Uncle Jon asks as he starts putting plates in front of each chair, then a knife and fork on top.

"No, I haven't," She says. "But Jaime says his father will most likely object to the engagement." Mommy picks up the platter of bacon and eggs, then nods to the pitcher of juice, "Grab that will you?" she asks. Aunt Ygritte picks it up, along with the stack of plastic drinking glasses and moves them to the table. Munda picks up the stack of napkins and takes them to the table. Uncle Jon takes them from her and she sits in her seat.

"How much do you want to wager that he won't?" Everyone looks at him in surprise. "Ok, Tywin is literally a gold digger. The best example I can give is Tyrion's marriage to my sister." He sticks a fork into a waffle on the serving platter in front of him and places it on Munda's plate.

_I wonder if Daddy will let me and my friends dig for gold later on... Maybe in the back yard..._

"According to Tyrion, he has disapproved of every woman Tyrion has ever dated. And the same goes for Jaime and Cersei as well. The only time he has been ok with any of their relationships is when there is wealth, prestige, something to add to the Lannister name." Uncle Jon pours syrup over his own two waffles then over Munda's. 

"Now, just imagine his surprise when Tyrion started dating Dany. Dany said he was nearly tripping over his own feet to be polite to her... My dear this, and sweetling that. And now he's all proud. He brags about how his daughter in law is the Princess Daenerys Targaryen, but he never mention that she's Tyrion's wife unless specifically asked."

_Uncle Jon's sister... Oh, I remember her! She's really pretty... and really fat. She waddles like a duck..._

"And then there's Bobby Baratheon, Cersei's husband. He's wealthy. He lives a very comfortable life. His brothers, Stannis and Renly, and he all draw income from investing old money into carefully chosen high end trades." Daddy listens carefully as he eats his food.

"And then there is Jaime," Uncle Jon grins. "He was seeing a cute little secretary a few years back, Pia, I think. Tyrion said they were hot and heavy and he believed Jaime was in love with her. Tywin hated her. He always talked about how she was looking to use Jaime to get a step up. And it didn't help how Jaime doted on her, buying her lavish gifts. Tyrion said Tywin blew up when Jaime wanted to give her a ring. He said Tywin tested her."

Daddy raises his brows, "What did he do?"

Jon looks at Munda then put his hands over her ears. "He offered her a million dragons to blow him."

_I heard that. Why can't I know that some lady blew on Jaime's dad?_

"I take it she did it," Daddy said, smiling.

"According to Tyrion, she didn't spill a drop," Uncle Jon laughs getting more bacon. Daddy is turning red too.  
What is so funny?

"At least she got paid for her... time," Mommy says turning red, trying to keep a straight face.

"You're telling us that that old fart gave away a million dragons?" Daddy asked, looking surprised.

"Hell no, he didn't!" Uncle Jon says loudly, and laughs really hard. "Tywin gave her a fake check that was used for an advertising loans a year before!"

Everyone at the table laughed. Then Mommy wiped her eyes, and asked, "But he could certainly afford it, why didn't he just pay her?"

"Because," Aunt Ygritte looked at Munda, "Paying for certain acts is illegal, Brie!"

"But YOU?" Uncle Jon smiled, as he took a sip of his juice. "He wouldn't give you such an indecent proposal." Uncle Jon said, "And from the look of that ring, it's a family ring. I guarantee you Tywin knows about you and his golden son, even if Jaime never mentioned you. Tywin hasn't objected to you because he DOESN'T. Jaime either had to ask his dad for that ring, or his dad already knew he had it. Tywin knows you don't need his money; but he sure as shit needs yours."

"Well, I mean, it's Jaime's family, if I can help him-" Mommy said.

"No, you won't," Daddy and Uncle Jon said at the same time.

"I've got to get started on my research so I can draw up a prenup for you," Uncle Jon tells her. "I think I'll use Dany's as a template to get started."

"See, Tywin's company is bleeding money every month. He is in the red. He is not a good business man." Aunt Ygritte says. "He will want Jaime to get money from you to help his business."

"He wouldn't BE in the red if he would actually keep at least some of the talent that comes up here to me. Fuckin idiot," Daddy says.

"Chances are that Jaime won't ask you for anything. He isn't like that. But his father will try to get him to ask. And when you're married-" Uncle Jon starts.

"IF," Daddy corrects.

"IF you marry him, Tywin will try to get through every back door and loophole he can possibly find- Which he won't because I've already taken care of everything," Uncle Jon said, smiling and winking at Mommy.

"Very efficient of you, Jon," Daddy says pulling Aisling from her chair and wipes smashed berries from her now stained face and hands. The he turns and looks at Munda.

_I know! I look messy, just like her!_

"What kind of attorney would I be if I didn't take care of family? Your money, holdings, everything is secured tighter than The Iron Bank... Yours," he says as he points to Daddy and Mommy, "as well as your father's."

  
***

  
After breakfast, Mommy and Aunt Ygritte clean up the kitchen. Daddy and Uncle Jon go into his office. Munda is left in the family room watching a movie with Aisling. Aisling quickly falls asleep and Munda gets bored with the movie. She wishes she had gone to school today... almost.

_I didn't practiced today!_

She gets up and runs to the formal living room. She slows down so she doesn't knock over the bass or one of the two cellos leaning in their stands. There are also three violins sitting in a chair; one small one that is hers, where the arm is marked with different colors, a larger one that Daddy uses, and a new one that is electric and looks strange to her.

She passes them and goes over to the huge grand piano in the middle of the room. She takes out a worn notebook from inside the bench, places it on the piano, then sits down. She flips through all the music written in the old book, searching for her favorite song that Daddy wrote a really long, long time ago... She lifts the fallboard, revealing the shiny black and white keys. Then she quickly goes through exercises like Daddy taught her. Daddy also taught her how to read the music.

_Reading music is easier than reading words_.

She starts to play the really long song. She's not able to play it as fast as Daddy, but she's getting better. Daddy wrote a duet version of the song as well, so that Mommy could play with him, he said. She likes it when Daddy plays the song with her, he plays the secondo, she plays the primo.

She can hear Mommy and Aunt Ygritte talking. Laughing every now and then over her piano practice. She looks up to see Uncle Jon rush past the doorway.

Munda tries to ignore what is going on and contines to play the music. But she stops anyway and goes to the hallway. She can see Mommy in Daddy's office standing over him, Aunt Ygritte to his other side.

"Ygritte and I are going to go, Brienne." Uncle Jon in a low voice from the doorway of Daddy's office. "Do you want us to take the girls with us for the night?"

"No, I can manage, I'll call if I need help." Mommy says.

Uncle Jon nods and kisses Munda on her forehead. Aunt Ygritte kisses daddy's cheek, "Feel better, ok?" she whispers.

Mommy puts her hand on the side of Daddy's face. "Honey, do you think you can make it upstairs to the bedroom so you can lie down?" She says very quietly. Daddy nods and Mommy helps him up. His eyes are closed, and his face is scrunched up. "Munda," Mommy says. "Get Daddy's medicine box out of the cabinet in the kitchen, and take it upstairs to our bedroom for me, please."

Munda nods, afraid her voice may be too loud. She turns and runs down the hall and through the family room to the kitchen. She knows exactly what box Mommy is talking about. It's a blue plastic box. She has looked inside it before. There is another box inside with 5 glass bottles, some needles for giving shots, and little alcohol squares. There is also an inhaler. They are all the same thing. Munda knows because the labels all have the letters S-U-M-A-T-R-I-P-T-A-N on them.

Munda hurries to Mommy with the box. She slows down when she sees Daddy. He looks awful. The last time Daddy was like this, he said it was his grain. Munda never understood what that meant, except it must hurt a lot because it made Daddy gave himself a shot in his tummy, and shots hurt.

Mommy and Daddy make it upstairs to their bedroom, and Daddy sits on the bed. Munda puts the box on the dresser. Daddy's face completely changes color, and Mommy grabs the trashcan by the bed. Daddy throws up.

And he keeps throwing up.

  
***

  
"And Uma is my best friend, Mommy. And so is Basil," Munda explains to Mommy as she brushes her hair into a ponytail. "And then you can meet them tonight." Munda smiles at Aisling, who is sitting on the counter holding on to a single sock with the mate still on her foot.

_At least she's not sucking her thumb right now._

"Oh, I'd love to meet your friend's, Munda." Mommy says as she looks at Munda through the mirror. "So, make sure I get it right. You all take dance together. And you all have the same teacher at school. What else?" Mommy asks as she starts to braid the ponytail she just made.

"Uma's mommy is really nice. And Basil's mommy is too." Munda holds Aisling's foot, inspecing her little pink toes. She takes the sock and puts it sock on Aisling's foot. Aisling immediately removes it.

_Weird baby..._

"Do they come over a lot?" Mommy asks as she nears the end of the braid.

"Yeah, Daddy brings them home with us after dance class and he takes them home on Sunday after lunch. They live far." Munda reaches into a drawer and holds up an elastic.

"OH? They don't live here? Inside our community, behind the gates?" Mommy puts the elastic on the end of the braid.

Munda shakes her head. "No, they live closer to school though. They can walk to school." Munda looks down at her sisters feet resting on the counter, "Mommy?"

"Yes, my love?"

"Isn't Daddy still sick?"

"Yes, and no..."

"His tummy hurts. I saw him throw up, a lot."

"No, it's his head that hurts. He has, a really terrible headache."

"But why was he sick into the trash?"

"When a person in a lot of pain, they sometimes throw up."

The cell phone on the counter starts to ring and Munda flips it over to look at the screen. "Can I answer it? It's the front gate..."

Mommy nods and Munda slides her finger across the screen. "Hello?" she says.

"Is that little Munda? It's Mrs. Eriksson, Uma's mother... I've brought the girls for a sleepover..."

"It's me, Mrs. Eriksson! My mommy is here!" Munda says excitedly into the phone. Aisling claps.

"Let them in, Munda!" Mommy reminds her before the call ends on it's own.

"OK, Mommy!" Munda touches the number one on the screen. "Come in!" Munda listens for the buzzing then ends the call. She runs downstairs as quickly- and as quietly when she passes her parent's bedroom door- as she can.   



End file.
